People who live to be 100 years old are not stressed, do not lose balance between work and life, and avoid letting themselves become lazy.
After meeting 1,000 people who lived to be 100 years old or older, experts Ben Meyers and Fabrizio Villatoro, from LongeviQuest, the organization that confirms the ages of the world’s oldest people, shared what they learned to have a better life. Live long and happily.
Studies show that genetics can determine a person’s ability to live to be a hundred years old. However, lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and social relationships also play an important part. Meyers and Villatoro came up with three things long-lived people never do.
Stress about things beyond your control
According to Meyers, centenarians are very focused on the things they have control over, but don’t stress too much about things beyond their control. They don’t even tend to worry about their age. “I have never met a centenarian who really has the goal of living that long. They all enjoy life and are happy with their time here,” he said.
Elderly men and women focus on what is important, try to be close to good people, and bring positive energy. Villatoro said most centenarians he meets in Latin America are focused on family and religion, living stress-free lives.
Research shows that chronic stress can affect almost every part of the body, leading to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Experts Ben Meyers and Fabrizio Villatoro pose for a photo with María Branyas Morera, the oldest person in the world alive. Image: LongeviQuest
Loss of balance between work and life
Keeping a work-life balance is beneficial to longevity, often demonstrated in Blue Zones like Sardinia, where people live to be 100 years old. People in this area prioritize family over career.
However, this doesn’t mean centenarians don’t work and just play hard. According to Villatoro and Meyers, many centenarians in Latin America worked in physically demanding jobs for most of their lives. They move to lighter jobs when they reach a certain age.
For example, in rural Colombia, Villatoro, people do physical work for many years, but stop at just enough to provide for their families.
Lazy
The centenarians that Villatoro has talked to are always busy despite their advanced age. They keep their bodies and minds active and consider this the key to longevity.
Previous research shows that exercise combined with regular social contact is beneficial for both physical and mental health. Reading books, doing crossword puzzles or attending lectures and courses can maintain cognitive function.
“Even if they stop working at the age of 100, they still find ways to fill their days by chatting with family, reading newspapers and doing various activities,” Villatoro said.
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